How a ping-pong ball changed the world

By Connor McGlynn Each year events occur that shift the way the world functions. Sometimes these are natural disasters, other times it is a victory that invigorates a nation. It may seem like a bit of a stretch, but the argument can be made that May 22, 2008 was one of the most significant dates worldwide in a long time. This was not the day that troops were pulled out of the Middle East or the stock market crashed; this was the day of the NBA lottery. The NBA lottery is used as the "fairest" way of assigning the order of draft picks for NBA franchises based upon wins and losses from the prior season. The team with the worst win-loss ratio has the highest odds of winning the first-overall pick with a 25% chance and so on (for a full explanation of the lottery, see one of my prior works here). In 2008, that team with the one out of four chance to capture the top-spot was the Miami Heat, who finished with an embarrassing 15-67 record just two years after winning the NBA championship. Following a season with that much disappointment, the only small glimpse of hope in Heat fans' eyes was obtaining that No. 1 choice, a glimpse that was not only erased, but was stolen. As the Ping-Pong balls fell from the cage, it was revealed that the Chicago Bulls, a team that finished with the ninth-worst record (33-49) and had just a 1.7% chance at obtaining the pick, would be selecting first at the late-June draft. This position was used to select the University of Memphis' point guard Derrick Rose, while the Heat were left with the second pick and chose small forward Michael Beasley out of Kansas State. Both draftees were brilliant freshman coming out of school with much upside, but it was clear that Rose was the most pro-ready member of the class learning under head coach John Calipari. The young PG went on to capture the Rookie of the Year award in the 2008-'09 season, making him the first No. 1 overall pick to win the award since LeBron James in 2003 (hold on to this name).

Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose meet in the Pros, Rose clearly happier about the direction his draft status took him

Now that there is background, we can dive into how that one evening altered how the world is today. Despite chance always playing a part in life, imagine that the lottery played out according to odds and the Miami Heat were awarded the top pick in the draft. The following would have resulted: Miami would have selected Rose to compliment the future hall-of-fame shooting guard they had in Dwyane Wade. Wade, who was in his prime at this point, went on to win the NBA scoring title during the 2008-'09 season where the Heat managed to sneak into the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first-round. Rather than being in Chicago where he solidified himself as a potential all-time great by becoming the youngest MVP recipient ever at age 23, Rose would have had the opportunity to flourish in South Beach. In doing so, he would have avoided a playoff matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers in which he tore the ACL in his left knee. The injury sidelined Rose for the entire next season until he returned in the 2013-'14 season. His second coming would only last a month before Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee, keeping him out for the remainder of the season. Without these injuries, Rose may have become one of the best point guards in the history of the game in Miami. The Heat never would have drafted Beasley, who has had various run-ins with the law over his career, including an incident during the Rookie Transition Program just months after he was drafted. Despite putting up middle-of-the-pack statistics during his first two years in the league, various issues with marijuana and lack of performance in the playoffs sent him off of the Heat roster and destined to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Until now, it seems that the lottery would have undoubtedly changed the scope of the NBA over the past six years, but its impact is not merely felt in sports arenas. The lasting effect of this 1.7% chance is felt globally. With Rose on the roster to help Wade, the two Olympians would have taken-up the majority of the franchise's salary-cap heading into the 2010 offseason and free agency. Because of this, former Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James would not have been able to be afforded and, rather than making his decision to take his talents to South Beach, would have likely remained in Cleveland or gone to Chicago. However, since James has been in Miami, he has captured back-to-back NBA championships, two MVPs and has the top-grossing jersey in the league. Rather than creating a super team in Miami with another free agent that would not have been able to fit within the team's salary cap Chris Bosh and Wade, James likely would have created a more competitive nature in the NBA by playing for another team, shifting all publicity he has garnered for the Heat world-wide away from the franchise and making, say, the Chicago Bulls a world-renowned team once again. His play has propelled the Heat to be listed as the sixth most valuable NBA franchise by Forbes and led the team to the second-highest TV rating in the league (for a full list of Forbe's top teams, click here). Fame, championships and events around the world would have been drastically different if the Miami Heat landed Derrick Rose in that 2008 draft; endorsements and TV coverage would have changed; fans rooting from 41 different countries and six different continents would have altered their allegiances; the economic fluctuations are unimaginable in regard to the changes. With the NBA draft upon us, it's important to take history into consideration. Constant debate surrounds who should be the first-overall pick between Duke's Jabari Parker and Kansas' Andrew Wiggins. Parker, the Rose in this year's draft, is NBA-ready, stocked with a skillset that can impact a game immediately. Wiggins on the other hand is acknowledged to be a project with incredible potential (sound familiar?). When the Cavaliers go on the clock Thursday night, hopefully history will not repeat itself. Based off just a few of the many changes that would have occurred, it is safe to say that the bounce of one Ping-Pong ball altered the global landscape for good. The images presented in this article are copyrighted and belong to their respective owners. Its use on this website falls under the fair use policy of US Copyright Laws. No infringement is intended.

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